Liverpool welcome former manager Brendan Rodgers and his Leicester City side to Anfield on Wednesday for a League Cup quarterfinal clash. The Reds beat Preston North End 2-0 in the round of 16 to make it to the last eight, while Leicester squeezed by Burnley to advance to this stage. The winner advances to the semifinals and will be just one win away from the cup final.
Here are the storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
How to watch and odds
- Date: Wednesday, Dec. 22 | Time: 2:45 p.m. ET
- Location: Anfield — Liverpool, England
- Live stream: ESPN+
- Odds: Liverpool-140; Draw +300; Leicester +360 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Storylines
Liverpool: The Reds have issues at the back and will be without Andy Robertson after he picked up a three-match ban for his red card against Tottenham. So that means we will likely see Kostas Tsimikas in his place. The latter has played in the team’s last two League Cup matches, but with a congested schedule, don’t be surprised if James Milner ends up getting minutes as well, potentially ahead of him in midfield. Compounding Liverpool’s defensive issues, Virgil van Dijk remains out due to COVID.
Leicester: After having to close down their training ground due to COVID, the team is getting a bunch of players back including Kelechi Iheanacho and Ayoze Perez — two players who seem like contenders to start a game like this. The question Rodgers has to figure out the answer to is, are they fit enough? COVID certainly hits everyone differently, and it will take patience and some testing to determine whether these players can return in top form or if more time will be needed. But with the quality going forward, combined with Liverpool’s depleted backline, the Foxes could have a real shot.
Prediction
The Reds prevails again, though uncomfortably, as a late strike from Diogo Jota sends them into the semifinals. Pick: Liverpool 2, Leicester 1
